survivorsur‧vi‧vor /səˈvaɪvə $ sərˈvaɪvər/ ●●○ AWL noun [countable] 
Emergency help is needed for survivors of the earthquake. She was the sole survivor (=only survivor) of the massacre.2someone who manages to live normally in spite of many problems: Don’t worry about Kurt; he’s a survivor.3someone who continues to live after other members of their family have died: She was the last survivor of the family.4a company that continues to be successful in spite of many problems: The company hopes to be one of the survivors of this recession.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Survivors of the accident were rushed to the nearest hospital.
- Although she's had an extremely hard life, Tina Turner is a born survivor.
- An eight-month-old baby girl was the sole survivor of a car crash that killed both her parents.
- As more is revealed, the audience begins to see Wendy as a survivor rather than a victim.
- So far rescue workers have found no sign of any survivors.
- There were no survivors among at least 261 people on board.
- Down below, the survivors emerge from their cars, cough once or twice, then forget all about it.
- In 1984, the survivors were all females and although they laid capsules, no embryos hatched.
- Mention his name to these pre-war survivors and you hear a sound like soup sucked through clenched teeth.
- Shaken survivors milled about the lobby awaiting word on when they could leave Cairo.
- She had saved 146 survivors in all, from Southern Princess and from another ship as well.
- Such survivors, after all, form by far the greatest proportion of patients with coronary disease.
- The next few days were filled with wire stories detailing the search for possible survivors.
- The Nguyen survivor, Nguyen Anh, had fled to the island with his Tayson foes behind him.
Longman Language Activatorto not die in spite of an accident, illness, or war
· Only 12 of the 140 passengers on the plane survived.· Doctors predicted that the baby would not survive with such severe disabilities.· My grandmother wouldn't survive another operation.· Not many of the insects survive the winter.
someone who has survived an accident, war, illness etc: · So far rescue workers have found no sign of any survivors.· Survivors of the accident were rushed to the nearest hospital.sole survivor (=the only survivor): · An eight-month-old baby girl was the sole survivor of a car crash that killed both her parents.
to continue to live and not die when you are in a very dangerous situation, for example in a war or when you have very little food: · They managed to stay alive by eating roots and berries.· We had to ignore the terrible things going on around us, and just concentrate on staying alive.
to survive and get better after having a very serious illness or injury: · I was so ill that the doctors weren't sure if I was going to pull through.· The first few days after the accident were awful, and everyone was just praying he'd pull through.
to survive after being involved in a serious accident, especially because of good luck: · The driver was killed but his passenger escaped with only a few scratches.escape injury/death etc: · The family escaped injury when a fire gutted their two-bedroom apartment.narrowly escape (=only just escape): · The prime minister narrowly escaped a terrorist bomb in 1999.
if you say that someone will live , you mean that they will survive, even though they have a very serious illness, injury etc: · One of the victims has severe burns and is not expected to live.live or die: · Our baby was in the intensive care unit, and we didn't know whether she would live or die.live to tell the tale/live to tell about it (=survive a very dangerous experience, so that you are able to tell people about it afterwards): · There were ten in the lifeboat, but only three lived to tell the tale.
informal to survive when you are in a very dangerous situation or when you have a very serious illness: · At one point I was so exhausted and weak that I didn't think I was going to make it.· I was surprised she had made it through the night.
if someone lasts a period of time, they continue to live during that period, even though they have a very serious illness or injury: · His breathing was getting worse and he was not expected to last the night.· It's amazing that she's managed to last this long, really.
to continue to live your normal life in spite of problems · The program provides homeless kids with the basics they need to survive: food, shelter, and health care.· Liz Taylor has survived several broken marriages, as well as periods of drug and alcohol addiction.· I don't think I could survive another year as a teacher. It's just too stressful.
someone who is used to dealing with great personal problems and difficulties and is able to survive them: · As more is revealed, the audience begins to see Wendy as a survivor rather than a victim.a born survivor (=someone who seems to have a natural ability to survive difficulties): · Although she's had an extremely hard life, Tina Turner is a born survivor.
to successfully deal with a very difficult problem or experience and be able to continue with your normal life after it: · She's had problems before and she's always come through.· Some children come through their parents' divorcing better than others.
to succeed in reaching the end of a very difficult period or experience: · It was not an easy time for Tracy but her friends helped her get through.· "Oh Jane, how will I ever get through this?" she said, and the tears started flowing again.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She was the sole survivor (=only survivor) of the massacre.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES the lone survivor of a shipwreck
She was the sole survivor (=only survivor) of the massacre. the lone survivor of a shipwreck· Jack was the sole survivor of the crew.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· One man, the lone survivor of the massacre, carried the gruesome story to Tihosuco.· The lone survivor was a 2-1 / 4-year-old girl.
· In fact it figures the three companies will be the only survivors of the coming silicon shoot-out.· I was glad to do what I could for my friend, the only survivor of the Praça days.· Today its Gothic bell-tower, much restored in the nineteenth century, is the only substantial survivor.· According to the only survivor, his comrades went under one by one, screaming in terror.· Richter would learn soon enough: there were no heroes, only survivors.· Since 1980 the Standard had been the only survivor of the flourishing trio in 1945.· Now the only survivors are likely to be serious candidates.
· The other survivor, Bennett, crawled back and has since lain a cripple.· Several other long term survivors have been described but only after radiotherapy or surgery.
· The cast's sole survivor from the great Minstrel days says that's a shame.· General Electric is the sole survivor from the original index.· The sole survivor, Barry O'Shaughnessy, 19, was seriously ill in hospital last night.· Stewart walked off with the look of one who was the sole survivor of a particularly nasty plane crash.· Bumboy not only won: it was more or less the sole survivor.· It is in this latter style that the sole survivor, 167 - has been restored for the Centenary celebrations.· I am the sole survivor of my family.
NOUN· Incidence of second primary tumours among childhood cancer survivors.· Nessim, who has created a documentary on cancer survivors, beat a rare muscle tissue cancer 21 years ago.· And it offers a hopeful message from cancer survivors such as Mary Chatman, 51.· But cancer survivors, medical practitioners and attorneys agree that discrimination against workers with illnesses exists in the workplace.
· He spoke about Hadassah's background as the Prague-born daughter of Holocaust survivors.
· The outrage eagerly orchestrated by the newspaper did not focus in a serious way on the needs and dangers facing rape survivors.· A strip across the eyes of a photograph of a rape survivor and her boyfriend is unlikely to deter speculation.
WORD FAMILYnounsurvivalsurvivoradjectivesurvivingverbsurvive
1someone who continues to live after an accident, war, or illnesssurvivor of Emergency help is needed for survivors of the earthquake. She was the sole survivor (=only survivor) of the massacre.2someone who manages to live normally in spite of many problems: Don’t worry about Kurt; he’s a survivor.3someone who continues to live after other members of their family have died: She was the last survivor of the family.4a company that continues to be successful in spite of many problems: The company hopes to be one of the survivors of this recession.